 little conversation together.«
    Elizabeth passed quietly out of the room, Jane and Kitty followed, but Lydia
stood her ground, determined to hear all she could; and Charlotte, detained
first by the civility of Mr. Collins, whose inquiries after herself and all her
family were very minute, and then by a little curiosity, satisfied herself with
walking to the window and pretending not to hear. In a doleful voice Mrs. Bennet
thus began the projected conversation. - »Oh! Mr. Collins!« -
    »My dear Madam,« replied he, »let us be for ever silent on this point. Far
be it from me,« he presently continued in a voice that marked his displeasure,
»to resent the behaviour of your daughter. Resignation to inevitable evils is
the duty of us all; the peculiar duty of a young man who has been so fortunate
as I have been in early preferment; and I trust I am resigned. Perhaps not the
less so from feeling a doubt of my positive happiness had my fair cousin
honoured me with her hand; for I have often observed that resignation is never
so perfect as when the blessing denied begins to lose somewhat of its value in
our estimation. You will not, I hope, consider me as shewing any disrespect to
your family, my dear Madam, by thus withdrawing my pretensions to your
daughter's favour, without having paid yourself and Mr. Bennet the compliment of
requesting you to interpose your authority in my behalf. My conduct may I fear
be objectionable in having accepted my dismission from your daughter's lips
instead of your own. But we are all liable to error. I have certainly meant well
through the whole affair. My object has been to secure an amiable companion for
myself, with due consideration for the advantage of all your family, and if my
manner has been at all reprehensible, I here beg leave to apologise.«
 

                                  Chapter XXI

The discussion of Mr. Collins's offer was now nearly at an end, and Elizabeth
had only to suffer from the uncomfortable feelings necessarily attending it, and
occasionally from some peevish allusion of her mother. As for the gentleman
himself, his feelings were chiefly expressed, not by embarrassment or dejection,
or by trying to avoid her, but by stiffness of manner and resentful silence. He
scarcely ever spoke to her, and the assiduous attentions which he had been so
sensible of himself, were transferred for the rest of the day to Miss Lucas,
whose civility in listening to him, was a seasonable relief to them all, and
especially to her friend.
    The
